Today, the guys in the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group have an interesting topic: FANDOMS I’M NOT A PART OF ANYMORE! Everyone has those fandoms they used to be super invested in, and now are no longer a part of. List yours!

Sort of a depressing topic, but one we all can relate to, because everyone has been completely caught up in a book, tv series, film franchise, or game then lost interest. I personally always wonder why I was so addicted to something after it is all over, but I turn right around and do it again. Weird but true. And below you will find the five fandoms that came to mind when I initially read this topic.

5. MARVEL COMICS

For most of my life, I was a self-professed Marvel Zombie. It didn’t matter what the comic was about because if Marvel published it I bought it, collected it, and more-times-than-not loved it. Some of my favorite comic series all-time are classic Marvel. Then about a decade ago I began not enjoying my fav comic publisher as much. The stories and characters didn’t really speak to me anymore, so I slowly migrated over to DC and have never left. Not sure why, but the current Marvel just isn’t for me.

4. THE MATRIX

After watching The Matrix back in 1999, I was a diehard fan for years to come. I actually enjoyed The Matrix Reloaded and tried to hypnotize myself into believing that The Matrix Revolutions didn’t suck. Hell, I even collected the cool McFarlane Toys Matrix Series. Had a nice shelf in my room filled with them and other Matrix collectibles. But as time went by, I found my initial amazement and passion for the franchise waning until it morphed into complete indifference, at best. This meh attitude is so pronounced now that even the news that more Matrix movies are being planned hasn’t excited me in the least.

3. THE WALKING DEAD

I discovered The Walking Dead through the comics by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, then migrated to the television series. For the first five seasons of the AMC show I was glued to my seat, caught up in the groups desperate struggle for survival. My wife and I actually contemplated booking a Walking Dead tour in Georgia where they film the series (We live only a few hours away.), and I talked the comic/show up to everyone who would listen. Now, though, I’m burned out on the repetitive stories and endless cast changes, as Rich and Co. meet a group, get people killed, blame everyone else except themselves, analyze why good people can’t survive anymore, then do it all again. Yeah, I’m just burned out on the Dead.

2. WORLD OF WARCRAFT

From the moment this game dropped in 2004, I was a complete addict. I played every free moment, leveling up, collecting epics, and trying to beat the most difficult raids. Vanilla will always be my favorite, but I battled through The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm before finally calling it quite with Mists of Pandaria. It was eight years of fun, where I meet many a great friend and had lots of laughs. Only good memories. 🙂

1. STAR WARS

I was in elementary school when Episode IV was released. From that moment on I was a proud Warsie, watching the movies, collecting the comics and novels, and pouring endless amounts of money into collectibles. I kept at it until Episode III seemingly ended the saga. Then I got all geared up again when The Force Awakens was announced. Couldn’t wait, bought the whole family tickets to the first show in my town, went . . . and hated it. Still hate it actually. It is a horrible rehash of the first trilogy. No originality at all, in my opinion. Even afterwards, I held out hope that Rogue One would be better, renew my enthusiasm, and it was better, I guess, but not good enough. Now, I’m out. My Star Wars fandom has left me. It is okay though, because nothing lasts forever. 🙂

So, how about you? What fandoms have you been all wrapped up in then lost your passion for? Let us all know.

22 Responses to TOP 5 WEDNESDAY: FANDOMS I’M NOT A PART OF ANYMORE

I’m with you on the Marvel one. It was One Last Day that did it for me. After that, it felt like everything was being rewritten and all the stories I grew up with were no longer canon. Almost like my part of the fandom was stopped or frozen in time. Then they remade characters, turned on the mutants, and geared everything towards their big events. Feels similar to what happened with Star Wars where the EU was made non-canon and the new stuff seems designed to imitate and replace the old. Odd that both franchises started this route soon after Disney bought them.

I gave up on Once Upon a Time recently. Still kind of a Matrix fan, but I was never hardcore. Most of my thoughts go to the first one, which still works as a stand alone.

I hesitated to mention Disney, but since you did it for me, I have to admit noticing that both Marvel and SW “changed” after the Mouse Money Makers got involved. Nothing wrong with change if it is well thought out and works, but, at least in Marvel’s case the sales have plummeted as they have turned their backs on the tried-and-true characters and canon which made them great in favor of SJW stories masquerading as superhero comics.

Disney seems to want to make their purchases their own. Like they’re offended that anything came before whatever they’re putting out in the franchise. So, they change stuff, make it difficult to find original material, and remove huge chunks of canon. It gets very commercialized to the point where it’s no longer fringe and everyone is into it, but not to the extent where they respect or even know about the past stuff. Try talking to a young Spider-Man fan about him being married. It doesn’t go well.

As for Spidey, thankfully, my youngest son (10) read the older Spider-Man stuff I had collected before trying out the new Spidey comics. He actually prefers the old stuff. (I never tried to persuade him one way or the other. Cross my heart.) He also prefers the original Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire, says they are the real Peter Parker. So there is still some hope that people will rediscover the good Marvel.

Having lived in Florida and known people who worked in the parks, I’ve been iffy on them for a while. That and an old job of mine resulted in me being pitted against a Disney lawyer. They’re vicious.

I want to get my son into the old comics, but I don’t trust him with keeping them in one piece. Your son has great taste. 🙂 I just introduced my son to the Justice League cartoons from the 2000’s. Now, he’s into Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern. Bought him all 9 Power Rings too. Gets amusing when he’s angry, so he grabs his red ring.

MORE Matrix movies? I don’t think that is a good thing. The last 2 movies curbed my enthusiasm for the franchise but any more movies are sure to kill it. Nothing lives up to the original.

My Starwars fandom died hard, in burning flames, when Disney un-canonized the EU. I’ll watch the movies, from the library, but I’m not excited about them nor do I have anything to do with books. And I’m a bit bitter 😀

I agree. No more Matrix movies. The first was amazing for its time, but the next two movies ruined it for me and so many of us.

As for Star Wars . . . (sigh) I got angry when they un-canonized the EU. So many great stories, characters, and concepts scrapped by Disney to allow them freedom to tell their own tales. Then after pissing off most fans they give them The Force Awakens? WTF! A Thrawn movie would have been much, much better. Hell, just about any of the EU stories would have been better than the two forgettable films they have released so far. And now we have Mark Hamill saying he disagrees with pretty much everything about Luke in the new movie. I’d laugh hysterically if I wasn’t so angry at George Lucas for selling my favorite scifi series to “white slavers.” George’s words not mine.

I hear ya on Marvel. I’ve struggled with their recent stories and I’m just barely hanging on to my fandom by a thread for them. But giving up on Star Wars??? I am so excited to see Luke again in this upcoming movie!

Great list. I’m 100% with you on Star Wars and The Walking Dead.
Other fandoms I was huge on and not anymore? Discworld I couldn’t get enough of in my 20’s, and now I can’t even stomach a page of them. Can’t explain why.
Was a huge fan of Elfquest as a kid – even a member of the official fan club. But, all the later stuff WaRP put out – couldn’t bring myself to care.

I was a HUGE fan of ElfQuest for many years, but gave it up for awhile when there were too many storylines and art was not Wendy’s. But now they are back to basics with the story Final Quest, and I am reading it again.

My WoW time has dropped off bit by bit since launch of vanilla as well, but I will go back to check things out whenever a new expansion releases. Legion has actually been awesome but I haven’t played in months now because of Overwatch -_-

I hear you on The Walking Dead! Apart from a bad case of “watcher fatigue” (the endless repetition you mentioned being responsible for most of it), I hit the point of no return with the first episode of the new season: so much senseless violence turned me off, and I never went back….

I agree with you about the Walking Dead. I haven’t liked all of the seasons but I’ve still watched them. But I just haven’t mustered enough enthusiasm to watch the new season.

Star Trek! I was hugely into the Next Gen, Deep Space 9, and Voyager. I haven’t seen Enterprise, though. When they rebooted canon for the movies, I was so angry! But I still watch my old favorite episodes now and then so I haven’t “given up” on it. I just don’t expect anything new to be good. However, I will most likely watch the new series if and when I’ll have the chance.

The reimagined Battlestar Galactica. I loved the miniseries and the first season. But then… things went downhill from there.

Heroes! I throughly enjoyed the first season and most of the second, too, but after that it started to feel like watching a train wreck. I recently bought and watched Heroes Reborn which, alas, gives more questions than answers. Sigh.

I was BIG BIG into video games when I was younger, but I never got into WoW. Looking back I really wished I had. I know it’s “never too late”, but and I supposed I could change somethings around and get a couple hours to play each night – but the time I could have put into when I younger, and how engrossed I probably would have gotten with it… that what I wish I had experienced.

I definitely concur about Star Wars. The prequel trilogy really dampened my enthusiasm for more films so I was instantly dubious when Disney purchased the “property.” In the run up to the release of The Force Awakens it was patently obvious that all they were going to do was exploit people’s nostalgia for the original trilogy.

Nonetheless, I reluctantly watched Episode VII once it was released on BluRay, and despite my very low expectations it was even worse than I thought it would be. It was basically the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I no longer have any interest in Star Wars (except the original trilogy and some games) and I won’t be watching anything Star Wars related produced by Disney.

I’ve grown to hate Marvel comics. I used to be a big Marvel fan, but I got tired of them retconning great stories and concepts, because they wanted to play it safe. On the other end, I got tired of them putting things in their graphic novels for the sake of shock value. Last but not least I got tired of all the bringing characters back from the dead constantly, making life and death not seem to matter.